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(No Model.)

H.T. MARSHALL. FINGER MOISTBNER-,

No. 500,339. Patented-June 2'7, 1893.

UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

HENRY T. MARSHALL, OF TOLEDO, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO WILLIAM GATES, OF SAME PLACE.

FINGER-MOISTENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Iatent No. 500,339, dated June 27, 1893.

Application filed March 3, 1893- Serial No. 464.493. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, HENRY T. IVIARSHALL, of Toledo, in the county of Lucas and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Finger-Moistener; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form part of this specification.

My invention relates to a finger moistener, and has for its object to construct an apparatus for use in moistening the fingers to facilitate the handling of papers, that shall be inexpensive of construction, readily attached to and detached from the clothing of the user, and capable of being worn immediately in front of the user to be accessible to the fingers of either hand.

The invention is especially designed for the use of persons selling railway tickets, bank officials, in handling paper money and analogous materials and uses.

It is well known that in the arrangement of railway tickets, especially of trunk lines, a number of tickets of each series are assembled upon their respective hooks, and that in order to select a single ticket without disturbing those immediately in the rear, it requires great care, such, in fact, as demands that the fingers be moistened, and as the ticket rack is some distance from the counter, while there may be the ordinary sponge and cup moistener upon the counter, it is too remote to be reached from the ticket rack, and the accumulation of dust upon the tickets prevents the usual mode of wetting the fingers upon the tongue, as the dust would be transferred thereto.

It often becomes necessary to use both hands in handling papers in which the fingers of each must be moistened. I have provided for all these contingencies by constructing a moistener that can be readily attached to the vest by slipping the stem into the button hole, and in this position be always present with the user, whether at the ticket rack or counter and that will be accessible to either hand.

I preferably provide a stem of a size and construction that will allow of convenient in sertion into the button hole of the vest between the button therein and the unoccupied portion of the button hole, without injury to either.

In the drawings I have illustrated a preferred construction in which- Figure 1 is a plan View looking at the side. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal central section of the same view with the top half removed. Fig. 3 is a top plan view.

In constructing the moistener I strike it out of thin sheet metal, such as tin or thin copper, comprising a circular plate forming the bottom 1, and an integral stem 2, which is bent upon itself to lie in parallel relation with the bottom.

In order to allow of convenient. insertion of the stem into the button hole, and at the same time prevent its too easy withdrawal, I form the same with a pointed end 3, an enlarged portion 4:, and a body portion of less area in cross section.

'5 designates a sponge holder, comprising an annulus of an exterior diameter corresponding with the diameter of the plate to which it is secured, preferably by soldering, the top of the holder being slightly contracted as at 6, in order to retain a sponge 7, which is compressed into the holder with a portion 8 projecting outside the holder sufficiently to allow the fingers to contact therewith when desired, the sponge being moistened sufficiently to effect the moistening of the fingers when contacting.

In the use of the moistener by persons handling paper money, all danger of contagion from infected paper is avoided.

, What I claim is- 1. A finger moistener comprising a sponge receptacle and sponge inserted therein, and a fastener integral with the receptacle for securing the same to the clothing of the user.

2. In a finger moistener a bottom portion, my own I hereby aflix my signature in presasponge receptacle connected therewihth, halrence of two witnesses. ing a contracted top, a sponge wit in t e holder, andafastener projecting from the bot- HENRY MARSHALL 5 tom portion adapted to be attached to the Witnesses:

clothing of the user. F. VALENTINE,

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as WILLIAM WEBSTER. 

